1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sport shoe, comprising an outer shell made from a relatively dimensionally stable plastic, a relatively soft elastic inner shoe at least partially accommodated in it and a clamping means for the top end portion of the shoe cuff.
2. Prior Art
A sport shoe of the generic type, in particular a ski shoe with a clamping means for the shoe cuff extending in a circle is known from patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,594 A, amongst others. This clamping means for limiting the width or narrowing of the top end portion of the shoe cuff comprises several, in particular three, strap elements aligned adjacent to one another in a row which are or can be joined to one another at their ends in the manner of a chain. The central or middle strap element of the clamping means, which is closed in a ring in the operating mode, is of an elastically stretchable design. The respective strap element adjoining the end portions of the elastic strap element are fixedly connected to one another at their end portions remote from the elastic strap element by means of a buckle-type adjusting means, as a result of which the effective length of the clamping means can be individually adjusted. In the operating mode in which the clamping means is active, a relatively constant pressure is exerted on the shoe cuff directly and on the portion of the inner shoe surrounding the lower leg of the user indirectly due to the elastic strap portion. This means that when a clamping means is activated with the outer, hard shoe cuff disposed in between, a specific forward biasing force is applied to the inner shoe and thus as a result to the lower leg of the user. The purpose of this elastic strap portion is to pre-vent the shoe cuff from becoming loose and gaps forming between the lower leg and the shoe cuff where a plurality of movements inducing loads and movements relieving these loads occur. In particular, this design is intended to maintain the most constant possible pressure between the user's leg and the shoe, even over long periods. Although this known clamping means incorporating an elastic strap portion is able to counteract undesired loosening of the shoe cuff during the period of use of the sport shoe, comfort of the ski shoe during use or when wearing it is not significantly improved.
Patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,067 A likewise discloses a sport shoe of the generic type, with a clamping means for the top collar portion. This strap-type clamping means extends from the rear portion of the relatively rigid cuff of the sport shoe in a ring as far as the front cuff region of the sport shoe and thus supports the front face of the tongue of the comfort inner shoe inserted in the sport shoe in the actively clamped state, thereby preventing any widening of the inner shoe in its tongue portion. However, this known system is not necessarily satisfactory.
In the case of sport shoes with a relatively soft elastic inner shoe and an intrinsically relatively stiff outer shell body surrounding at least certain regions of the inner shoe, the inner shoe is particularly important in terms of offering a high degree of comfort for the wearer. The outer shell body, on the other hand, is primarily designed to transmit force to a sports device, as is the case with ski shoes, roller skates or ice skates, snowboard shoes and similar, for example. In order to avoid unpleasant pressure points on the user's foot as far as possible, the known inner shoes are provided with thick cushioning and in some cases these inner shoes are adapted as far as possible exactly to the shape of the respective user's foot. These features offer only partially satisfactory results and the individual foaming or adapting processes are complex as well as time-consuming and cost-intensive in particular. Also known are inner shoes which have a plate-type reinforcing element stitched or adhered to the external face. Furthermore, some known inner shoes have partial gaps or recesses for specific parts of the foot, for example for the ankle, in order to prevent unpleasant pressure points on the respective user's foot. In terms of the structure of the inner shoe, these features increase the production costs of the sport shoe and precautions of this nature can not be adapted to the individual requirements and different foot shapes of different users. Furthermore, inner shoes of this type can no longer be modified subsequently.